Ideologies of Race and Class

Racial stereotypes developed early in the colony. British planters
characterized Africans as physically strong but lazy and irresponsible.
East Indians were stereotyped as industrious but clannish and greedy. To
some extent, these stereotypes were accepted by the immigrant groups
themselves, each giving credence to positive stereotypes of itself and
negative stereotypes of other groups. The stereotypes provided a quick
explanation of behavior and justified competition among groups. Africans
were described as improvident when they refused to work for low wages or
make long-term contracts with the plantations. East Indians were
considered selfish when they minimized their expenses to acquire
capital.

In modern Guyana, the association of behavior with ethnicity is less
rigid than in colonial days. Where once there was a sharp and uniform
distinction between behavior considered "British" and behavior
considered "coolie," now there is a continuum of behaviors,
which receive different ethnic labels in different contexts. What is
considered "British" in a rural village might be considered
"coolie" in the capital.

Along with stereotyping, the colonial value system favoring European,
specifically British, mores and behavior has persisted. Eurocentrism was
promoted by the colonial education system, which idealized British
customs. The superiority of British culture was accepted by the
ex-slaves, who perceived their Christianity, for example, as an
indication that they too were civilized. From the late nineteenth
century, the emerging middle class of urban AfroGuyanese ,
Indo-Guyanese, and others developed a nationalist ideology based largely
on British values. They claimed a place in society because they met
standards that had been set by the British.